I just got back from my second conference in the last 2 weeks. This one was held at the Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit, which is really starting to thrive as they recover from the economic downturn of the past decade.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that Agile & Beyond is my favorite conference. Why? Because they don't just talk about agility - they exhibit it. From the way they gather submissions using the simplest solution that could possibly work, the FOOD, it's SO good!, and the Honorarium they pay each speaker in addition to a free conference pass to offset their costs to speak. They show us respect before, during, and after the conference.
I love this conference so much that when they asked if anyone could pick up a last-minute session, I volunteered immediately. Our team at Assurant leads a coaching circle every 3 weeks, so I had plenty of content that could be used with minimal changes. I gave Nayan 5 topics to choose from. One resonated with him, and voila, the second session was formed. Thank God I was completely ready for the first one!
I wrote the session description in 5 minutes before my plane took off and since this conference is called Agile & Beyond, I let them know this was a beyond topic in the title. Beyond Prioritization: How to Make an Impact on your customers.
I chose the last time slot on the last day so I could get ready, and had a quick collaboration with Mark Henke that made the session amazing. To my surprise, plenty of people showed up!
It went well. So well, in fact, that I wouldn't be surprised to see a new product with the scenario we created. Even better, the participants had high praise for what they learned, and one said "Saved the best for last".
I'm so grateful every time I speak, especially when others learn techniques that help them deliver an impact!